Under constant threat from cybercriminals, man dies by suicide near Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Under constant duress from cybercriminals posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, a man died by suicide on the outskirts of Bengaluru after losing Rs 11 lakh over two weeks.

Police said the modus operandi was similar to that of the infamous digital arrest scam, where scamsters impersonating investigating officers hold unassuming victims under duress, house arrest, and constant surveillance.

The victim in this case is Kumara K, a 48-year-old who was residing with his wife and eight-year-old son in Bengaluru for over 20 years. He worked for Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom).

He was found hanging from a coconut tree in Kelegere village, Channapatna taluk, Bengaluru South district, on July 15. A purported suicide note found in his pocket revealed shocking details.

According to Kumara, he received a phone call from an unknown person who claimed to be Vikram Goswami, an officer at the CBI. Kumara was further threatened that there was an arrest warrant out for him and that he had to pay money to get out of it. It wasn’t clear what Kumara was accused of, as generally in digital arrest cybercrime, victims are accused of partaking in illegal activities like drug smuggling, money laundering, etc.

He first paid the scamster Rs 1.95 lakh. But the harassment and threats continued. Fearing for himself and his family, Kumara transferred Rs 11 lakh into the bank accounts shared by the fraudster posing as a CBI officer.

Despite this, he was being asked to transfer another Rs 2.75 lakh. Without knowing what to do and without informing anyone, Kumara left his Bengaluru house on the afternoon of July 14.

All he told his wife was that he was going to his hometown for some work, the FIR noted. His wife told the police that for the last 15 days, Kumara spoke daily on his phone in Hindi, scared.

The MK Doddi police in Channapatna registered a case under BNS Section 108 related to abetment of suicide. A probe has been launched.